


Begin Again

by LizzieRosa



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, American Kili, Badass!Kili, British Fili, Fluff and Angst, Geeky!Fili, M/M, Rated M/E for later chapters!, Sarcastic!Fili, Sassy Bilbo Baggins, Swearing, Tattooed!Kili
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2018-10-07 23:21:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10372119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizzieRosa/pseuds/LizzieRosa
Summary: Fili, after the death of his parents, decides to start afresh and spend a year working at the charming Hobbiton Books on the California coast before he returns to Britain for university.Life, however, very rarely goes according to plan. Fili certainly did not intend to fall for Kili Durinson, a tattooed college student who threatened to tear down every wall Fili had meticulously built.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everyone!
> 
> I have no idea where this fic came from, but as soon as it popped into my head I just had to write it! There was something about bad boy Kili (who is secretly a big softie) that I couldn't resist!
> 
> \+ As always, all mistakes are my own and I will try and fix them as soon as I can!
> 
> \+ I don't own anything!
> 
> \+ The first chapter is ridiculously short, but the rest should make up for it! It is mostly setting up the story :)
> 
> \+ I really hope you enjoy this chapter! I've had so much fun starting this fic :)
> 
> LizzieRosa :)

_Shit, you’re actually doing this._ The thought incessantly repeated itself inside Fili Oakenshield’s head as he stared blankly at the departure board. After checking for the umpteenth time that his plane was indeed at gate seventeen, Fili threw his bag over his shoulder and starting weaving through the crowds of affectionate couples and animated families.

A pang of longing settled itself in his chest. Fili’s mind drifted back to nine years prior, where he and his parents were waiting in this very airport. It was his first time abroad and he was so excited that even the food poisoning he contracted – which mum swore was from the airplane food, which she hence always avoided – did not dampen his spirit. His tangled, golden-blonde hair had fallen into his eyes as he ran along the sandy beach, the sun beating down on his skin and the warm waves of the Tenerife sea dancing along his feet. It was a simpler time; long before the pressures of adolescence and, then, the fire that turned Fili’s life completely upside down.

A faulty electrical output was ruled as the official cause of the fire that swallowed Fili’s family home, with his parents still inside. How lucky it was, the newspapers had said, how Fili was staying at his friend’s house that fateful night. Fili knew it was ridiculous, but guilt still riddled his being whenever he thought of it. If he’d have been there, he could’ve woken up his parents and got them out, hugging them as tears fell down their ashy faces. It was no use, though. The past was water under the bridge, forever lost to time.

Fili had been thirteen at the time, though the memory was still as raw and open six years later. After the fire, Fili had been sent to live with his Aunt and Uncle, who despised him in every sense of the word, simply by virtue of being his mother’s son. His parents had met at university, with his Eton-educated father falling for the unconventional, council-estate raised girl with a toothy smile. Fili’s Aunt hated his mother for, in her own words, stealing him away to the other side of the country, living a life that was seen to be below his birth. Fili remembered being dropped off in front of Oakenshield Manor a few days after the fire, the stares of his Aunt and Uncle as cold as ice.

They didn’t mistreat him, per se, but they did their upmost to avoid any interaction with him, going as far to arranging the family Christmas meal elsewhere and leaving Fili at the manor. It wasn’t all bad; the cook, Bombur, took him under his wing and kept him company where he could, teaching Fili how to prepare some damn great recipes. After his parents’ death, most of Fili’s friends simply withdrew, either not knowing how to talk to him or thinking that he was damaged goods. Fili couldn’t say that he blamed them; he became increasingly withdrawn, feeling out of place in a world which was turning just as it did before. He thus threw himself into his studies, trying to salvage a future where he could, hopefully, lead a normal life, away from his family and the memories that lingered.

Fili had done just that, in his humble opinion: he had managed to get a place at the University of Cambridge to study physics, just like his father before him. After the amount of hard work it took to get in there, Fili thought he would be ecstatic to get in; though, when the notification came through on UCAS, all he felt was a sinking feeling deep in his heart. Fili told himself it was just the nerves.

He had another year until he started university, which nearly made Fili sick: another year here, holed up with a family which did not want him and memories that still caused tears to drip sore. Fili had mindlessly browsed Google at faraway places, marvelling at their beauty and, mostly, their thousands of miles between it and where he was now. Somehow, he’d stumbled upon a website advertising short-term jobs across the globe. Fili’s eyes had lit up when he found an ad for a year-long position at an independent bookshop on the Santa Barbara coast. Hobbiton Books, run by Bilbo Baggins, another British export, were looking for an enthusiastic individual to cover one of three employees who would be taking a year out to be with their new baby, whenever it decided to arrive. Fili hastily dismissed the thought. Did he really think he could pack up his bags and disappear for a year in California? The thought of it bugged him, though. Eventually, the promise of adventure became too tempting to resist.

It was that temptation that was pushing Fili forwards through the airport, shoving down the apprehension within his head and embracing the wanderlust in his heart.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! 
> 
> I am honestly so overwhelmed by the response for this fic - you guys are seriously the best! Thank you so, so much :)
> 
> \+ I initially wanted to publish one big chapter, but I'm still editing the last half of it so this is the first part. I'll hopefully upload the rest in the next week or two :)
> 
> \+ Any mistakes are mine and I'll try to fix them as soon as I can!
> 
> \+ I do not own anything! 
> 
> \+ This chapter is, again, mainly setting up the plot and introducing a few characters. I have big plans for this fic, so I hope that you like the direction I'm taking the fic in :)
> 
> Thank you again for reading! LizzieRosa <3

Panting, Fili hauled himself up to admire his work: after two days of unpacking boxes and swearing relentlessly whilst trying to build his flat-pack wardrobe – _damn, IKEA, give a guy a break_ – he had officially finished moving in.

To be completely honest, the apartment wasn’t the best. It was certainly pokier than the rooms he’d been accustomed to at Oakenshield Manor, with his room there having more square footage than the entirety of the bedroom, kitchen and lounge put together. The paint was also peeling on some walls and the laminate floor a bit scuffed, but it was the first taste of freedom Fili has ever experienced and damn it felt good.

Running a hand through his golden locks, Fili traipsed over to his suitcase and picked out a series of photos; one of his parents on their wedding day, another of their graduation and the final one from their holiday to Tenerife, all those long years ago. The sapphire sea glistened in the background as Fili and his parents smiled into the camera, their eyes crinkling from the sun. A lump formed in Fili’s throat as he placed the photo pride of place onto the tiny coffee table, in the centre of the lounge.

A melodic knocking at the door broke Fili’s trance; he cocked an eyebrow when he opened the door to find a plastic container full of cookies thrust into his face. ‘Care for a cookie?’

Fili stared blankly at the dark-haired bloke in front of him, who was giving him an unnaturally wide smile. His face slackened in realisation of what was going on in Fili’s head and shot out a hand. ‘Bofur Eredson, nice to meet you! I live just across the hall,’ he said in a rather cheery voice.

‘Fili Oakenshield, the pleasure’s mine,’ Fili smiled as he shook Bofur’s hand. Fili’s eyes dropped to the pile of cookies in Bofur’s hand, which smelled absolutely divine. Biting his lip, Fili looked up. ‘May I?’

Bofur immediately shoved the container towards him and Fili picked a cookie out. ‘You see, my niece has taken on baking as a hobby, and hell, there’s no way I’m discouraging that.’ Fili nodded enthusiastically in agreement, the cookie tasting like heaven in his mouth. He made a mental note to make friends with this guy as soon as possible.

There was a sudden shriek from the clattering of plates from down the hall, followed by some rather colourful curses and raised voices. Bofur rolled his eyes. ‘I leave the apartment for two minutes and World War Three begins.’

‘I hope you make it out alive,’ Fili joked, already taking a strong liking to his neighbour. Smirking, he shut the door, poured a glass of orange juice and sat down on his rather uncomfortable sofa, looking out onto the bustling street below.

Fili had been so wrapped up in setting up his apartment and other necessities to really take in the fact that he was actually did it. He was in an apartment on the other side of the world, about to start a job he had very little experience in, in a city he knew shit about, with absolutely no one he knew. _Well, you never did do anything by halves._

**

 _Fucking hell, whoever decided that putting two dozen, fifteen-hundred page hardbacks in one box was a good idea had a special place in hell, reserved just for them._ Fili stumbled the last few steps towards the window and thumped it down on the makeshift table of – who would have guessed – more books. At least he wouldn’t have to go to the gym as often.

Wiping the sweat that had collected on his forehead, Fili tore open the box and started arranging the books in the window, keeping one ear on the impending commotion between Bilbo and one, rather annoying, customer.

Upon first glance, Bilbo looked to be one of those oh-so-polite and quiet sort of people. His blonde hair, littered with specks of silver, stood a good few inches below Fili, and his eyes had been kind and lit with humour as he showed Fili the ropes of the job. Fili had soon come to realise that Bilbo had a wicked sense of humour and had to, throughout the day, force down several smiles.

‘But I want to buy that book now!’ A ruddy-cheeked woman screeched indignantly, her eyes bulging at Bilbo, who returned a deathlike stare that caused even Fili to inwardly recoil.

‘I appreciate that, ma’am, but unfortunately, my talents do not extend to locating books with just the description of ‘it has a blue cover,’’ Bilbo deadpanned, his tapping of his pen growing more impatient as the minutes rolled on.

‘But you’re a bookseller! You should know these things,’ the woman roared in reply.

‘Ma’am,’ Bilbo began calmly, accompanied with a sickly sweet smile. ‘There are over a thousand blue-covered books in this shop. If I were to know exactly what book you’re talking about by just the colour of the front cover, then I think my talents are wasted on talking to people like you.’ A choked snicker escaped Fili’s lips, which he tried to disguise with a very badly-disguised cough when the woman turned her steely eyes onto him. Fili suddenly became very interested in the empty box in front of him.

‘I can’t believe I ever came here!’ the woman exclaimed. ‘You should know that I will never come back here again!’

‘Oh, how disappointing.’ Bilbo evenly retorted.

‘As you should be,’ the woman sniggered, Bilbo’s humour going straight over her head. The woman slammed the door behind her, the force of it causing a few books to drop off Fili’s neatly arranged display.

‘Well, that was uncalled for,’ Fili huffed as he returned the books to their rightful place.

Cursing, Bilbo stomped over from the till towards the door, watching the woman walk down the boulevard. ‘I swear to God, if another person comes through that door and asks another question like that, restrain me. I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep my fists to myself,’ Bilbo muttered, though his eyes were glinting with laughter.

‘I’ll keep that in mind,’ Fili smiled in response.

Bilbo snorted. ‘Just you wait, you’ll have one in no time. To the day I die, I will always remember the day some eighty-year-old ladies asking which book had all the, and I quote, ‘the whips and those kinky things’. Jesus.’ Bilbo closed his eyes and shuddered.

Fili’s first day past by in a blur after that, with his first customer, thankfully, coming from the normal strain of humanity. As Bilbo locked up the shop, Fili marvelled at the sight before him: the large expanse of the ocean glistened orange and pink from the sunset above, the waves moving softly in the gentle breeze.

‘It’s a sight to see, isn’t it?’ Bilbo said softly. ‘I remember the day I first opened the shop; the sky was so impossibly blue you couldn’t tell where the ocean began. Nothing like old Blighty, is it?’

‘No,’ Fili replied, almost sadly. ‘No, it isn’t.’

Bilbo glanced up at Fili, noticing the wistful expression on his face. ‘There’s a good bar not two blocks from here, if you care to join? Not that you can drink, mind you.’ Bilbo joked.

Fili paused. Bilbo’s mention of Britain had caused twinges homesickness to stir deep in his gut, a feeling Fili never thought he would feel, considering his memories of home were not ones he wanted to revisit. Deciding that distraction would be the best remedy, Fili returned as big a smile as he could muster and agreed.

Bilbo chattered away quite happily as the pair made the short walk to bar, once again recounting some of the horror stories from the bookshop.

Bilbo finally leaned over and pulled the door of Laketown Bar open. Fili followed him inside and grabbed a table in the corner whilst Bilbo went and ordered. The bar itself was in the centre of the room, with tables and booths scattered throughout the space; there was an old-school jukebox on the far-side of the room and a pool table seated just next to Fili’s table. He picked the table closest to the floor to ceiling window, which looked out at the sandy beach.

‘Here we are,’ Bilbo said as he placed the tray down, his eyes trained on the drinks. ‘I have a nifty habit of spilling things, you see. Dangerous business letting me carry things.’

Fili nodded in sympathy; he too had a slight tendency for clumsiness.

Fili and Bilbo’s conversation picked straight up again, the pair discussing everything and anything. Fili’s smile brightened as the hours slipped by, his interjections becoming easier and more confident. Fili always had a problem with being timid and shy, so the fact that he was already on such good terms with his boss made his heart warm.

‘Can I get you anything else?’ A cheerful voice called from Fili’s left.

‘Please, Bard! We’ll have the same,’ Bilbo replied instantly. Looking between Fili and the bloke named Bard, Bilbo suddenly started. ‘Oh, shit! Bard, this is Fili. You know, the new employee I’ve been talking about.’

Bard turned his eyes to regard Fili, causing his cheeks to glow red. Fili raised an expectant eyebrow at Bilbo. _He’d been talking about him, huh?_

‘Oh, yes. The genius Brit who’s selling books for a year. We’ve heard all about you,’ Bard grinned.

Fili bit his lip uneasily. ‘All good, I hope,’ Fili said, trying to make his voice sound as jokey as possible.

Bard cocked his eyebrow. ‘Well, Bilbo did fail to mention how good looking you would be.’ He gave Fili a wink as he headed back to the bar to get their drinks.

Fili flushed an even deeper shade of crimson as he turned back to Bilbo, who was shaking with silent laughter. ‘Don’t worry about Bard, mate. He’s a massive flirt, but he is completely off the market.’

Bard then returned with their drinks and stuck around for the remainder of the conversation. Fili learnt he went to UCSB on a sports scholarship and was majoring in political science.

‘You should’ve seen my dad’s face when I told him,’ Bard began. ‘He wanted me to follow him into his boating business, but I guess I just wanted more.’

Fili nodded absentmindedly, bringing his drink to his lips. ‘Yeah, I can understand that.’

A vibration in his pocket lulled Fili from his happy daze and his face turned into a frown as he saw who it was. ‘Excuse me,’ he muttered as he strode towards the door and pushed it open.

Bilbo and Bard watched him walk out. ‘Is he okay?’ Bard asked Bilbo, concern colouring his voice.

Bilbo looked out at Fili, who was now pacing the pavement with a pensive expression upon his face. ‘I think there’s a lot more to Fili than we know about.’

Outside, Fili pinched the bridge of his nose. Perhaps it was not his brightest idea to withhold his plans from his Aunt and Uncle, the former now screeching down the phone.

‘How dare you leave like this! Your Uncle and I have done nothing but support you, and this is how you repay us?’

Fili stared into the distance dumbfounded. The bitter anger and resentment which Fili had always tried to supress began to resurface, rage beginning to cloud his vision.

‘Support me?’ Fili bit out. ‘Don’t make me laugh.’

‘Yes, support you, Fili. I know your mind has twisted-’ Fili hung up on her shrill voice, his hand clenching his phone. _Breathe, just breathe._

They hadn’t changed one bit. Fili’s Aunt and Uncle were the type of people that would distort the truth to fit in with their version of events. To them, Fili was the troubled teen they had tried to help in every way possible, with their efforts being thrown back in their face. Aunt and Uncle told that story to all his family, who soaked up all their lies and began to shun Fili, penning him as the black sheep of the family.

A gentle hand came onto his shoulder. ‘Fili, is everything all right?’ Bilbo asked, concern written all over his face. _God, how Fili hated that look._

‘I’m perfectly fine, thank you,’ Fili replied. He gave Bilbo and Bard, who was standing a few feet away, a tight smile. Bilbo must have sensed the anger oozing off Fili, as he clapped his shoulder and began to move away.

‘Whatever you say, Fili. Work starts at eight tomorrow, so perhaps we should call it a night?’

Fili looked over at Bilbo, eyes softening slightly. ‘Sure, I’ll see you tomorrow.’ Bilbo gave a bright smile in return, about to head off in the opposite direction.  

But, of course, shitty things always come in pairs. As soon as Fili turned, something smacked against the back of his head so hard that white danced across his vision and tears stung in his eyes. There were a couple collective shouts of ‘oh, shit!’ as vision returned to Fili. He glanced up and saw a rugby ball – or an American football, for that matter – a few feet in front of him. Either way, it hurt like a bitch.

Fili stood up fully, praying that the dizziness would soon abate. He could make out Bilbo and Bard in front of him, with the latter looking frantic with worry and the former trying to suppress a smile. _Damn you, Bilbo._

‘Should we call a paramedic?’ Bard said anxiously, rushing to support Fili now that he had stood up.

‘No, no! Please don’t,’ Fili started, causing the dizziness to reach full impact. ‘Someone could drop me off at A&E, though, if it is not too much trouble,’ Fili said, not even trying to curb the sarcasm.

‘A&E?’ Bard said, brows furrowed.

‘The sodding ER,’ Fili exhaled, though a small smile danced upon his lips. _Fuck, he was really a magnet for trouble._

‘Shit, are you okay?’ Fili’s breathing faltered as he looked up, meeting a pair of gorgeous chocolate-coloured eyes, which were laced with unease. _Shit, he was gorgeous!_ His dark hair was scraped messily off his face, revealing a good deal of stubble and…was that a piercing in his lip? The white t-shirt he was wearing revealed arms full of elaborate tattoos. Fili quickly looked down, colour rising on his cheeks. _Seriously, now was not the time._

‘Yeah, I’ll be fine,’ Fili forced out, inwardly rolling his eyes at the high pitch of this voice.

The tattooed dude visibly relaxed, though he tugged at his lip piercing with his teeth. ‘Yeah, sorry about that. You were in the way-’

Fili’s eyes shot up, with a small amount of anger beginning to coil in his gut. ‘In the way?’ Fili took an exaggerated look at the shops and restaurants behind him. ‘Of what, may I ask?’

Fili could tell that the tattooed dude was trying to suppress a smile, which angered Fili more. The nerve…

‘Never mind,’ Fili shot out. ‘I don’t fucking care.’ Fili began to walk forwards but the world suddenly began to tilt, causing him to stagger forwards. ‘Shit,’ was all he could muster as he fell into someone’s arms. Of course, like the bitch life is, it had to be the tattooed dude’s arms. They were very nice arms, to be fair. 

He was about to say something when Fili bit out a ‘don’t you dare.’ Annoyingly, his face burst out into an amused smile, which stretched even wider when Fili scowled. It was the last thing Fili saw when consciousness escaped him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go! I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! 
> 
> I'm so sorry for the length of time it has taken for me to put this chapter up - time has just flown by and exams have pretty much dominated my life! I've only got a few left until summer so I should find more time then. Thanks for being so patient with me :) 
> 
> \+ I do not own anything!
> 
> \+ Any mistakes are mine and I will fix them as soon as I can! 
> 
> \+ I'm hoping for much longer chapters when the plot picks up a bit :)
> 
> \+ Thank you again so, so much to everyone who has left kudos, bookmarked, subscribed and commented on this fic - I am so happy and overwhelmed that you are enjoying it! It always puts a huge smile on my face, so thank you, thank you, thank you <3
> 
> I really hope you like this chapter! LizzieRosa :)

The persistent beeping in Fili’s ear roused him from unconsciousness, squinting as he opened his eyes to some rather garish fluorescent lights. Whilst traces of dizziness resided in his head, Fili managed to haul himself up into a sitting position. Glancing around disorientated, Fili realised that he was in a hospital room. _Jesus, could he make it any length of time without some kind of awkward situation happening?_

‘Thank fuck you’re awake.’ Fili turned to find Bard sitting to his right, worry still etched across his face. ‘Look, Bilbo, he’s awake.’

‘Really, I hadn’t noticed,’ Bilbo’s unmistakably dry voice called from his left.

‘How long have I been out of it?’ Fili groaned, eyes still sore from the bright light of the room.

‘Not for too long. Luckily the ER is just round the corner from the bar,’ Bard replied. ‘You’re going to have one hell of bruise!’

‘Gee, that will cheer him up, won’t it?’ Bilbo said to Bard, his eyes screaming ‘ _what the fuck are you doing?’_ Fili couldn’t help but chuckle at the death stares Bilbo and Bard were giving each other, trying their best to outdo one another.

At that moment, someone who Fili assumed was his doctor walked in, if the white coat and stethoscope was anything to go by. She had a very kind face, with her inky hair pulled back from her face and her vivid azure eyes looking down on him. ‘Good, you’re awake. I’m Dr Durinson. We’ve run a few tests and, thankfully, nothing serious has come up. You do have a mild concussion, though, so make sure you don’t do anything too strenuous and have someone with you at all times in the next forty-eight hours, just in case any of your symptoms worsen.’

‘Sorry, I don’t have anyone to stay with me…’ Fili trailed off when he saw the glare from Bilbo and Bard’s surprisingly offended expression.

‘Fili, Bard and I can take it in turns to watch over you. It won’t be any skin off our teeth,’ Bilbo said softly, giving Fili a small smile.

‘Yeah, but you’ve got the shop and Bard’s got the bar and university –’

‘We do possess the talent to do more than one thing at once, you know,’ Bard joked, looking at Fili hopefully.

‘Well, with that sorted I better finish my rounds. You’re free to go whenever you’re ready, but if any of your symptoms worsen please come back immediately.’ Dr Durinson said, though she made no sudden movement to leave. Looking up from his patient notes, she gave Fili a rather sheepish smile. ‘Listen, I want to apologise on behalf of my idiot son. I mean, it definitely wasn’t deliberate but –’

‘Your son?’ Fili asked, bemused.

‘Yes, Kili. That asshole’s the reason why you’re here in the first place. Well, according to Kili, he was so charming that you swooned right into his arms.’ Annoyance stirred in Fili as the memories came flooding back. How could he have ever forgotten that gorgeous wanker, concussion or otherwise. Fili chose to ignore the sly grin that Bilbo was shooting him.

Shaking his head and immediately regretting it, Fili gave the doctor a small smile. ‘I can assure you, it was the rather spectacular ball to the head that caused that,’ Fili muttered in a dry voice. ‘And anyway, accidents happen so there’s no worries.’

Dr Durinson visibly relaxed and offered Fili a wide smile. ‘Thank you, Mr Oakenshield. I hope you feel better soon.’

‘Will do. Thanks, Doc,’ Fili replied. With that she left Fili sitting on the side of the bed. _At least not all members of that family are complete arseholes._

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Fili cautiously began to stand up, ignoring Bard’s protests. ‘I need to pee. You can’t deny me that,’ Fili joked as he shuffled across the room.

‘Do you need some he–’

‘I still have the ability to pee by myself, Bard.’

Fili hobbled sluggishly across the packed waiting room to the toilet, trying not to cause another bout of dizziness. _No more falling into attractive strangers’ arms for you, Fili._

Pushing through the door, Fili leaned against a sink and fumbled with the tap, splashing lukewarm water in his face. The side of his head still throbbed, though the pain had died down significantly compared to the initial impact.

‘I’m glad you’re back on your feet again,’ a smug voice said from behind Fili. ‘Although, if you want to fall in my arms again I won’t complain.’

‘Fuck you,’ was all Fili could mutter, cursing his luck that he had to go to the toilet at the same time the tattooed wanker – _Kili_ – was there. _Give him a fucking break…_

Fili glanced up to Kili, whose smirk made Fili realise what he had just said. Before Kili could reply, Fili held up a hand. ‘Don’t you fucking say it.’ He relaxed when Kili closed his mouth, though that annoyingly sexy smirk was still on his face.

‘Well, I suppose the moral of the story is not to stand in the way of footballs, isn’t it?’ Kili said wickedly, eyes bright with mischief.

Fili turned around fully to face Kili, shooting him a Bilbo-esque death stare. ‘I’m not even going to respond to that, you sanctimonious dickface.’

‘Dickface? My, my, you do have dirty mouth, don’t you?’ Kili replied, his eyes dropping to Fili’s lips.

Fili instinctively bit his lip, annoyance and…something else which he was in no way going to admit to pumping through his veins. ‘Listen, why don’t you just apologise, which I’ll then very graciously accept and we can both move on with our lives.’ Fili seriously doubted the truthfulness of that last part.

Kili exhaled a rather exaggerated sigh, bending down into a low bow. ‘One is enormously apologetic that thee was standing in one’s way of one’s football. One is truly remorseful.’

Fili wanted nothing more than to sock the guy in the jaw, but the smile dancing on his lips refused to disappear. Much to Fili’s dismay, a small chuckle also escaped his lips, which caused Kili to glance up, his expression immediately melting into a wide grin, eyes crinkling in the corners.

‘Shut up,’ Fili said pathetically, trying to force down his smile. ‘I’m still pissed at you.’

‘I didn’t say anything,’ Kili smirked, his teeth tugging at his lip ring. ‘And no, you’re not.’ Fili opened his mouth to spit out some witty shutdown, but words failed him. _Bilbo will be so proud._

‘You okay, Fili? You’ve been in here for a while…’ Bilbo trailed off as soon as he saw the both of them. Fili became suddenly aware that he and Kili were standing mere inches from each other. Fili immediately stepped back, forcing his breathing to calm down.

‘Everything’s fine, Bilbo. I was just acknowledging dickface’s apology for his rather dismal aim, wasn’t I?’ Fili asked Kili sweetly, plastering a sickly sweet smile on his face.

Fili didn’t think it was possible, but Kili’s stare only intensified, his eyes burning. ‘Yes, I was indeed apologising. I’m all yours to command.’

Fili’s eyes widened and Bilbo coughed awkwardly, messing with the edge of his shirt. ‘Well, er, I’m just going to…er, yeah,’ Bilbo said, pointing towards the door.

After Bilbo made his escape, Fili turned back towards Kili. Shifting from one leg to another, Fili have him a small smile. ‘I guess I better get going.’

Kili nodded slowly, looking…almost disappointed? ‘Okay. Well, I hope you feel better soon.’

Fili looked away, trying to push down the strange sense of sadness that had fallen upon him. ‘Thanks. See you, then.’ He turned away abruptly towards the door, forcing himself not to look back.

‘Wait!’ Fili had just reached the door when he heard the shout, just turning around in time to see Kili bounding towards him. With surprising gentleness, Kili slowly rolled up Fili’s shirt sleeve, gently trailing his fingers against the soft skin of Fili’s inner arm. Fili inhaled a sharp breath. Seemingly out of nowhere, Kili produced a pen and slowly started scribbling on Fili’s skin, the nib tickling as it went across his arm. After Kili had finished writing, his hand lingered on Fili’s arm, sending tiny bolts of lightning through Fili’s body. Grinning up at Fili, Kili eventually stepped back. ‘There.’

Frozen on the spot, Fili forced his head down to look at his arm, which was still embarrassingly stretched out. The black numbers were stark against his pale skin, and underneath, in an inelegant script, said ‘call me’.

Grinning like an idiot, Fili regarded a hopeful-looking Kili. ‘We’ll see, dickface.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go! I hope you've liked this chapter and thanks again so much for reading! :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my lovelies! 
> 
> Long time no see! I feel like I say this whenever I sporadically post a chapter on here, but I'm sorry for the length of time it's taken for me to upload. The months since I last uploaded have been a complete whirlwind and has changed me so much as a person - I hope, for the better! However, that hasn't changed my love for this fic. Again, this chapter is not as long as I'd have liked, but I just wanted to get this up. 
> 
> I also want to say a huge, huge thank you to the lovely people who have commented on this fic, your words make my heart warm! Another thank you to those who have left kudos and bookmarked as well!
> 
> Any mistakes are my own! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll hopefully see you again soon!
> 
> LizzieRosa x

Fili asserted that one is most definitely bored out of their mind if the most exciting thing to happen is the clock striking the fucking hour. He had hoped that his mandatory rest would entail copious amounts of Netflix and pizza and other artery-clogging snacks. Bard – _ahem,_ Dr. Bard, it would seem – had a very different idea. He kept Fili’s laptop and remote with him at all times, saying that the artificial light wasn’t good for his head, and fed him with lots of green shit, saying it was good for his recovery. Don’t get him wrong, Fili was beyond grateful for Bard, who was practically a stranger, giving up his time to make sure Fili didn’t trip over and end up in A&E again in an even more embarrassing scenario. It made Fili’s heart warm in a way he hadn’t felt for the longest time. But Fili thought Bard had gone far enough.

‘Just why, Bard?’ Fili sulked, staring at the plate of celery. ‘Just one pizza, that’s all I ask!’

‘With all those processed fats and unhealthy shit, no; you need good stuff to make sure you make a full recovery,’ Bard said as if it were gospel.

‘Mate, it’s a fucking concussion. I haven’t had a heart attack,’ Fili exhaled.

‘Nope, doctor’s orders,’ Bard replied sweetly, setting the plate down on the coffee table.

‘She never said anything about eating the weight of Big Ben in green shit thou-’

‘I mean me,’ Bard smirked as if it was blindly obvious. ‘I’m a whole two years older than you, which means I have the authority here.’

Fili scowled, but before he could respond there was a sharp rapping at the door. Fili moved barely an inch before Bard barked: ‘don’t you fucking move!’ Fili had started to move, but remained frozen at Bard’s command. Though it was hard to take him seriously when he was wearing a frilly pink apron that Fili brought as a joke from the discount section of the local store. Fili decided muffling his giggle would be best.

Placing his head gently as he could on a cushion, Fili listened out to Bard opening the door, soon followed by the sound of a familiar voice. Bofur! Fili pushed himself up as fast as was humanly possible without causing another bout of dizziness and tottered towards the door. He could already smell the scent of chocolate chip cookies invading his flat.

‘Those smell fucking divine,’ Fili groaned as he reached the door, Bofur once again thrusting the box into his face as soon as Fili came into view.

‘Fili, take one! It’ll help you get on the mend,’ Bofur said cheerfully, eyes crinkling at the corners.

‘But -’ Bard began to protest, though he was quickly silenced when Fili shot his hand out, all but grabbed a cookie and shoved it into his mouth. Bard wasn’t sure he’d seen someone who had a head injury move so fast.

‘I think I did die and I’m now in heaven,’ Fili mumbled through the cookie still in his mouth, relishing in the still-warm cookie dough and melted chocolate which he was sure was all over his lips.

‘I don’t think you’re in heaven, otherwise I’m most definitely in the wrong place,’ an all too familiar voice calls out, immediately sending electric waves up Fili’s spine. His eyes fluttered open to find Kili’s chocolate eyes glinting with amusement.

‘What are you doing here?’ Fili sputtered, crumbs flying across the hallway. Fili closed his eyes. Very smooth.

It was obvious that Kili was trying to suppress the wide grin that hinted at his lips. ‘I’m here visiting my dear family friend for his delightful and insightful company.’

Kili, now grinning unabashedly, threw an arm around Bofur’s shoulders. Bofur gave him an incredulous stare.

‘What?’ Kili asked, eyes wide with feigned innocence. Bofur simply continued to stare. ‘Okay, we came eighty percent for your company and twenty percent for cookies.’

The staring contest continued. ‘Fine…eighty percent for cookies,’ Kili resigned.

‘Sounds better,’ Bofur chuckled.

Kili’s eyes flickered back up to Fili, who was dumbfounded at the situation. Not only was he hit in the head by the abysmal aim of one, ahem, sexy bastard, the said sexy bastard was a family friend of his neighbour who supplies him with cookies. _Of bloody course._

Fili’s eyes flicked back up to meet Kili’s, whose eyes were still trained on his face. They dropped down to his lips, which were still coated in cookie crumbs. A pink stain flushed Fili’s cheeks. _Fuck him for being so easily affected._

Fili turned to Bard, who was still in the pink, frilly apron. ‘Oh, how rude of me! Bard, this is Bofur, my neighbour, and, you’ll probably recognise him, this is…’ Fili turned his head towards Kili, whose eyes were trained on his. ‘This is Kili, the fucker who knocked my brains out with that flaming ball.’

Bofur gave a bright smile, shaking his hand, before turning to glare at Kili. ‘You said that you _heroically_ saved Fili from the ball. You failed to mention that _you_ kicked the fucking thing.’

‘Well, everyone forgets the small details,’ Kili said mischievously, though he shot Fili a sympathetic look.

‘You are a small detail, indeed,’ Fili said with a teasing grin.

‘Well,’ Bofur began, hoping to steer the conversation from the beyond-awkward territory. ‘If you guys want to drop by for a coffee and another cookie by all means do! We’d love to have more company.’

Fili glanced at Bard, who seemed to be quite taken with the idea. ‘Well, we wouldn’t want to intrude -’

‘You wouldn’t be intruding in the slightest!’ Bofur pleaded. ‘Matter of fact, you’d be saving the cookies from that gannet over there.’ Bofur cocked his head towards Kili, who only looked mildly offended.

‘Er, excuse me,’ Kili whined, feigning melodrama. ‘Why do you delight in torturing me so?’

Bofur raised his eyebrows. ‘It’s one of the few pleasures I have left.’ Turning towards Fili and Bard, Bofur gave a wide smile. ‘Come on, then!’

Bard walked with Bofur merrily towards the latter’s apartment, the frilly pink apron completely forgotten about.

Fili turned back towards Kili, whose chocolate eyes were burning into his. Kili tugged his lip piercing with his teeth. ‘You’re looking a lot better now from when I last saw you.’

Fili raised his eyebrows. ‘Hey, I thought the deathly-pale, head-just-done-in look suited me.’

A vibrant chuckle escaped Kili’s lips, eyes crinkling in the corners. All Fili could do was stare. Stare at the way Kili's eyes twinkled, the way he ran his hand through the curls of his hair, the way he bit his lip.

‘You checking me out?’ Kili murmured, eyes dropping down to Fili’s lips.

A faint, pink flush stained Fili’s cheeks, blood thumping loud in his ears. God, Kili was an arrogant fucker. Yet there was something about him that Fili couldn’t turn away from.

 _Well, two can play at this game._ With his heart in his mouth and a confidence he most definitely did not have, Fili sauntered closer to Kili, taking careful steps to try and prevent another embarrassing incident. When Fili stopped, his lips were mere inches from Kili’s. Kili inhaled sharply.

‘Perhaps,’ Fili responded softly. Fili leaned in even closer, his breath dancing on Kili's cheek. ‘What are you going to do about it?’

It was Kili’s turn to blush, a red tinge emerging on his cheeks. _Fuck, even flushed he looked stunning_. Fili’s mind couldn’t help but wonder how far that flush extended.

Fili’s eyes dropped to Kili’s lips, as if on autopilot. When they flicked up back to Kili’s dark eyes, they were smouldering into his. Kili’s head seemed to lean forwards slightly –

‘You know, banging in a public hallway is generally frowned upon,’ said Bofur teasingly. Fili immediately stepped back, willing to bet that his cheeks were a stunning shade of bright red. _Great…just great._

‘Of c-course we weren’t,’ Fili stuttered, turning towards Bofur, who was waggling his eyebrows raised knowingly. Fili paused when he glanced back to Kili, who hadn’t moved an inch and was still looking at him so intensely that Fili thought he might melt.

When Fili came to Santa Barbara, he most definitely did not anticipate anything like this happening. _Well, shit…_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there you go! I really, really hope you liked this chapter!
> 
> Next time, Fili meets the family and Kili is...well, Kili.

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you've enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reading - it honestly means the world! :)


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